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PRK
. PRK (redirected from SpaceGhostPurrp) PRK or Purple Raider Klan, is musical group composed of a loose collection of rappers created by musical prodigy and hip-hop OG SpaceGhostPurrp (AKA THE BLACK GOD). The PRK (also referred to as RVIDXR KLVN) hail from FLORIDA, more specifically Carol City Miami, AKA the PRK MECCA where they were founded around 2011 after SpaceGhostPurrp's debut mixtapes blew a hole in the internet, transfixing hip-hop fans on his raw sound and virulent, antisocial lyrics and attitude. He capitalized on this breakthrough by releasing his first album and then quickly bringing together a squad of talented hip-hop peers who made moves in a similar sound, vibe, and spirituality. 2013 brought PRK much turmoil but also much success in the form of their official group debut, "Tales from the Underground", which solidified their repuation as one of the most innovative and important underground hip-hop groups on the scene. Look out world, here they come. But just how important is this shit? What do they sound like? Their music rolls along at a heady but carefully employed pace, with the percussive bounce/crunk of 90's Outkast and UGK (R.I.P to Pimp C) but subtract the plethora of soul samples used by those grand titans of southern hip-hop and look more towards Outkasts' weirder, spacier productions (and mix in the gothic tones of early Three Six Mafia for good measure). But despite their geographic location and chopped and screwed sound pulled from DJ Screw (R.I.P to Screw), their music draws most heavily from the darkened synth tones a la RZA's early production for Wu-Tang. This influence be heard on Spaceghostpurpps breakthrough track, "The Black God" which calls up GZA's combat hood mysticism from "Liquid Swords" but minus the samurai stuff. Like Wu-Tang, the beats are more sparse, but land with a decisive thud. Less is more for PRK, which is surprising since they call Miami their home; the over-the-top shimmer and shine of a DJ Khaled or Mike Will Made it need not apply, there are no hooks for Nicki Minaj, just space for the raw flow of PRK female rapper Amber London. They also seem to purposefully avoid using any soul samples (much like early Wu-Tang as well) or really any samples at all, (no Syl Johnson to be found here!) going against the predominant assumption that such samples are a prerequisire for hip-hop generally. This music succeeds by being rawly refined. Lyrically the crew is not reinventing the wheel, but nor do they need to. Knowing how to rap is more important than what you actually rap, at least in some cases, and for PRK they nail their own style supremely. SpaceGhostPurrp, Yung Summie, Denzel Curry, and Amber London put out solo mixtapes, but plenty of members always show up for posse cuts, where the crew effortlessly take turns trading bars. Regardless, its hot down there. The lyrics often reference the heat of the 'flame', whether its source be a gun ("pop pop pop pop pop pop!") or a blunt. Their passion and tempers run hot, like the thick and heavy humid air of the FL swamp they call home. Yet this music instead feels ominous, stark, and cold - things aren't good and be weary of everyone and anyone ("...we don't take kindly to threats"). Yet a bigger fear facing the PRK might be total ostracization. A recent falling out between Spaceghostpurpp and his former associate ASAP Rocky led to a full-on beef between the ASAP Mob and PRK. But as the ASAP Mob currently have the spotlight and most everyone else on their side, it makes it seem unlikely that PRK might ever gain a real following outside of Miami Dade County. Several high profile members have since departed including Denzel Curry (apparently dismissed by SpaceGhostPurrp) whose anthem "Threatz" was an essential part of the group. But they don't seem too concerned, at the end of the day it is about the music and they succeed brilliantly in creating an original, unique sound while firmly grounding their stance in the strength of the newly regrouped crew, the 'flame', and that purple glaze filter that hovers over them in their Youtube videos. From this, the icy beats seem to offer cooling relief, yet instead the rappers' stabbing, staccato flows are unrestrained in their confidence and dedication to violence. This music is unfriendly, but so is life. PRK MUSIC - Essential Releases 1. Raider Klan - Tales from the Underground (2013) 2. SpaceGhostPurrp - Mysterious Phonk: The Chronicles of SpaceGhostPurrp (2012) 3. Denzel Curry - Nostalgia 64 (2013)